Biography
Jenine has advised on some of the most high-profile and complex M&A transactions of the past decade, securing Phase 2 clearances from both the European Commission and CMA. With a particular focus on the technology, pharmaceutical and energy sectors, she has represented corporations on a wide range of behavioural antitrust matters and investigations, as well as on competition appeals and litigation. A former secondee to the UK telecommunications regulator, she is a trusted adviser on regulation, foreign investment and national security issues.
Jenine is recognised as a “Leading Individual” in competition by Chambers Global, Europe and UK, included in the “Hall of Fame” in competition in Legal 500 UK, was included in The Lawyer’s Hot 100 for 2024 and one listed as one of the leading “Women in Antitrust 2021” by Global Competition Review. Described by clients in Legal 500 as “a star performer”, “with a stellar market reputation” and a “lawyer of extraordinary versatility – equally at home in a complex Phase 2 merger case as she is in heavy competition litigation”, Jenine is noted for combining “deep technical expertise with wonderful strategic and tactical sense”. In Chambers, clients state that Jenine is “our go-to lawyer for complex merger control filings" with another adding, "she always has the bigger picture in mind but can zoom in to the detail when required. There is a reassuring sense that she has considered all the angles in her advice." She is a member of the City of London Law Society Competition Law Committee.
Representative experience at Weil and from her previous firm includes:
- Microsoft on the merger control aspects of its investment in OpenAI and the CMA study into AI Foundation Models
- Microsoft on the merger control aspects of its investment in Mistral AI
- A third party on the Vodafone / CK Hutchison JV CMA Phase 2 merger inquiry
- Microsoft on its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Inc. This landmark merger control matter won Global Competition Review “Matter of the Year,” “Merger Control Matter of the Year: Americas” and “Merger Control Matter of the Year: Europe” in 2024.
- Advent International and NielsenIQ before the European Commission on NielsenIQ’s combination with GfK, winning a rare conditional Phase 1 approval
- Eutelsat on its $3.4 billion combination with OneWeb creating a leading satellite service provider
- Liberty Global and Telefonica on a joint venture with InfraVia to create nexfibre
- Telefónica SA on the £31 billion merger of O2 and Virgin Media with Liberty Global plc, including a reference from the European Commission and CMA Phase 2 unconditional clearance
- A number of CMA investigations under the Competition Act 1998 in relation to alleged excessive and unfair pricing and anti-competitive agreements in the pharmaceutical sector
- An intervenor, in the ground breaking CK Telecoms UK Investments v Commission appeal against the European Commission’s Phase 2 decision prohibiting the 3/O2 merger
- The CMA market investigation under the Enterprise Act 2002 into funeral markets
- Inmarsat on its acquisition by Triton Bidco for £2.6 billion, including the public interest intervention investigation under the Enterprise Act 2002
- Tele 2 on the unconditional EU Phase 2 clearance of the merger between Tele2 Netherlands with T-Mobile Netherlands
- A European Commission investigation into cross-border access to pay TV
- EE in obtaining unconditional Phase 2 clearance of the GBP£12.5 billion acquisition by BT Group plc
- EDF on obtaining State aid clearance for Hinkley Point C, including the subsequent appeals
- Imagination Technologies Group PLC on its takeover offer by Canyon Bridge
Firm News & Announcements, Speaking Engagements, Latest Thinking
Firm News & Announcements
- Weil’s Antitrust Excellence Recognized as Microsoft/Activision Deal Wins Three Honors at GCR Awards 2024 Firm Announcement — April 10, 2024
- Weil’s Antitrust Practice Shortlisted for Multiple Awards at the Global Competition Review Awards 2024 Firm Announcement — February 05, 2024
Speaking Engagements
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EUMR in the Face of Conglomerates and Ecosystems: A Framework to Assess Complex and Multifaceted Effects of Mergers on Competition
Speaker(s):
Jenine Hulsmann
April 18, 2024 — Brussels, Belgium — Weil’s Antitrust Partner Jenine Hulsmann will discuss, in the context of conglomerates and ecosystems, frameworks to assess the complex and multifaceted effects on mergers and competition.
- The Next Phase of Merger Control: Implications of the CMA's Procedural Reforms for Complex Global Mergers Speaker(s): Jenine Hulsmann — March 6, 2024 — Competition Law Association
Latest Thinking
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Opt-out, opt-out: Exploring the rise of UK collective actions against big tech
Blog Post — European Disputes Blog
— By
Jenine Hulsmann,
Jamie Maples,
Bella Spring,
Matthew Gibbon and
Charlotte de Vitry
— July 22, 2024
Developments over the past decade have led to a surge in opt-out collective proceedings in the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal, increasingly against tech companies. In this post, we explore the factors fuelling this trend and the future developments likely to continue to fan the flames. ...
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Tech M&A in a shifting regulatory landscape: “Ecosystem entrenchment” and the curious case of the online travel agencies
Blog Post — WorthWeil Antitrust Blog
— By
Jenine Hulsmann,
Niklas Maydell,
Bella Spring and
Martin Wagner
— July 10, 2024
The European Commission has published the text of its provisional decision last September to block Booking’s proposed €1.63bn acquisition of eTraveli. In this post, we give our take on some of the EC’s key reasoning and consider the practical implications for future M&A in the tech sector and beyond. ...
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Ready Set Go for the UK’s New Digital, Competition and Consumer Regime: Key Compliance Milestones and Opportunities for Regulatory Engagement
Blog Post — WorthWeil Antitrust Blog
— By
Jenine Hulsmann,
Bella Spring and
Robert Eyres
— May 29, 2024
The long-awaited Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill has received Royal Assent and become UK law. As businesses continue on their journey to regulatory compliance, what can we expect next in terms of key milestones and how can businesses help to shape the DMCC’s application and enforcement? ...
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The Parent Trap: Dealing with Sponsor Liability for Antitrust Breaches by Portfolio Companies
Blog Post — WorthWeil Antitrust Blog
— By
Jenine Hulsmann,
Chris Chapman,
Bella Spring and
Patrick May
— February 01, 2024
Antitrust agencies are prioritising the enforcement and deterrence of anti-competitive conduct, especially in consumer-facing markets where consumers most keenly feel the effects of the ongoing cost of living crisis. In this context, and following the conclusion of some long-running, high-profile cases in the UK especially, private equity investors should be aware of their potential exposure ...
- Let’s Keep Talking: Major UK Merger Procedural Reforms Promise Better Engagement And Transparency For Complex Deals Alert — Antitrust — By Jenine Hulsmann, Nafees Saeed, Bella Spring, Jenny Patroclou and Hannah Bannister — PDF — December 2023